Audio speakers and speaker systems have been the subject of a great deal of research and design modification over the years in an effort to improve the quality of the sound produced by the speaker as perceived by the listener. The present invention builds upon many of these prior advances and results in a speaker system that produces a quality of sound that is much improved over prior designs.
Most audio loudspeakers are approximately cone shaped and vibrate in response to an electrical signal, thus producing sound waves. One way of improving the quality of sound is to improve the quality of the electrical signal received by the speaker. Another way is to improve the quality of the sound generated by the speaker itself. The latter improvement relates mostly to the materials and the design of the speaker.
Over a period of time speakers have become specialized. Speakers that produce high tones, or sound waves of high frequency, are designed differently and are of a different size than speakers that produce tones at a lower range. Accordingly, speakers are commonly divided into four categories: (1) tweeters, which produce the highest tones; (2) woofers, which produce the lowest tones, (3) mid-ranges, which produce tones bridging the gap between those produced by tweeters and woofers, and (4) full ranges, which produce the broadest range of tones. There is typically some overlap between the sound tones produced by speakers. Thus, a woofer may produce sound frequencies at the upper end of its frequency range that overlaps frequencies produced by a mid-range speaker at the lower end of its frequency response range.
Modern speaker systems typically fall into two categories; integrated systems in which multiple speakers are mounted within a single housing, and component level systems in which multiple speakers, each having its own housing, are used to provide a full range of sound. Because multiple speakers are used in each system, the quality of the sound perceived by a listener depends not only on the quality of sound produced by each speaker, but also by the complex way each speaker interacts with every other speaker.
Component level systems offer the most flexibility in the configuration of speakers and, therefore, the most flexibility in the mixing of the sound produced thereby. By placing a variety of speakers in different orientations relative to one another, the listener can optimize the sound produced by the system. However, component level systems also have a number of drawbacks. First, the use of separate speakers requires that separate housings and cable connections be provided for each speaker, dramatically increasing the cost of the system. Second, the need for separate wires to supply sound to each speaker generates a large number of wires to conceal and can cause difficulty in attaching the wires to the connectors on the amplifier. Third, in order to properly aim the separate speakers, speaker stands or brackets with adjustable mounts must be purchased and disposed with the room. Finally, the use of a number of components takes up a relatively large amount of space compared to that taken up by integrated systems.
Because of the drawbacks inherent in component level systems, the use of integrated speaker systems would be preferred, provided that such a system were capable of adequately mixing the sound produced by each of the speakers mounted thereon. However, these systems have not, heretofore, had this ability. This is due to the fact that the housings surrounding the speakers in conventional speaker systems are typically designed to have a single, substantially planar, front surface into which the speaker, or speakers, is mounted. Because the speakers are mounted to a planar surface, the sound emanating from each speaker begins its travel in parallel relation to that produced by the other speakers and is not fully mixed until it has traveled a significant distance into the room and, or is allowed to bounce off of walls or other obstructions. Accordingly, these systems lack the fullness of sound that can be achieved using component level systems.
Therefore, there is a need for a speaker system that provides a full mixing of the sound generated by the various speakers making up the system, that does not require the separate housings and cable connections of component level systems, does not require the use of multiple wires to connect the system to an amplifier, takes up a minimum of space, and does not require the use of separate stands or brackets in order to aim the speakers for optimum performance.